Actress Michelle Ryan, 24, played Zoe Slater on EastEnders for five years. She was cast as Jaime Sommers in the remake of 1970s cult series Bionic Woman but the show lasted only eight episodes before it was cancelled following the US writers’ strike. Ryan can be seen in new BBC series Merlin later this year. Bionic Woman is out now on DVD.

How did you become the Bionic Woman?

I was working on a film and got a call asking me to go to America to screen test for it. I flew out and within a week I’d got the job and had signed a seven-year contract. It all happened so fast. I filmed in Vancouver for six months.

Did you have to do a lot of fitness training?

I worked out with a personal trainer for 90 minutes every day and practised the Israeli martial art Krav Maga. I learned the stunts every morning and filmed them in the afternoon. I really want to be healthy now. I woke up on Sunday morning at 9am and thought: ‘I want to go on a run.’ I’d never have thought of doing that before Bionic Woman.

Did you have any injuries?

I ran through a spinning fan wheel and got my caught and ended up with a huge lump on my leg where the fan hit my radio mic. Then I had my arms tied behind my back and had to do a spinning kick, I was suspended on a harness and didn’t rehearse it – I thought I’d work it out as we went along – but ended up falling on my arm and getting a huge bruise. The first aid guy was always giving me cold compresses.

Did you enjoy the physical work?

I really miss the stunt work. There was one scene where Jaime jumps out of a window but the television network safety people banned me from doing it. I’ve always been a sporty tomboy so I had a lot of fun.

Is there pressure on you, as the face of such a heavily promoted show, to make it a success?

Having spent five years on EastEnders I knew what I was getting into. I realised I could be signing my life away. Shortly after I got the job, my agent told me the show would be very different from the original and some people may not warm to it – but you go in, work your ass off and hope it pays off.

What went wrong?

The American TV network NBC wanted to relaunch the show with a double-length episode. The plan was for Jaime to have a big love story with a CIA agent. Then the writers’ strike hit. They felt relaunching a new show that hadn’t been on air for three months would have been too expensive. It’s not coming back.

That must be an anti-climax after moving to Canada and signing such a big contract.

The funny thing is, I only signed a six-month lease on my apartment, so I was hedging my bets. It was disappointing it came to an end, because there was so much we could have done with the show. That’s the way of the industry – sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t.

Would re-introducing Max The Bionic Dog have helped?

Who knows? Possibly we’d have got a few more animal lovers watching.

When you got the part did you go on a spending spree?

No, I’d already done that with EastEnders. I bought my Mini Cooper at 18 and I’ve still got it. I don’t want to part with it. I’m quite sensible. My dad told me to spend half and save half of what I earn and that’s what I’ve done. You don’t know what’s round the corner.

Who do you still see from EastEnders?

Tracy-Ann Oberman, Kim Medcalf and Kacey Ainsworth. And some producers and publicity people.

Would you go back if times were hard?

No. It was an amazing apprenticeship but I wouldn’t go back. I spent my teens there. It’s like going to university – you wouldn’t want to go back. You learn what you need to then you move on.

Did you really audition for the Vesper Lynd role in Casino Royale?

I did. Daniel Craig wasn’t there, though. I was quite nervous and completely blew it. Whereas with Bionic Woman I was relaxed and nailed it. It’s always when you’re not bothered – the same as when it comes to guys – that you do best. If you try too hard it doesn’t work.

If you could talk to a dead person, who would it be?

Alfred Hitchcock. I got a box set of his films for my birthday and I love them. He’d be really cool to talk to.

You’re filming a mini series with Sean Maguire. Has he given you any tips on how to star in loads of US sitcoms?

That’s his forte but he just told me to look him up when I’m in LA. Ashley Jensen’s the only person I know out there so it was nice of him. I’d be happy if I did some more comedies. I’m looking at scripts. I’ve learned you can’t control what happens in life, let alone the acting profession.